It is also manifest from the context of this passage, that Christ could mean nothing but natural water, together with the spirit. In the 12th verse of this chapter, our Lord says, ' If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things ?' Christ mentioned water in the 5th verse, which is an earthly thing, because it is from the earth. Now since Christ told Nicodemas of an earthly thing, he could not mean spirit alone, for that is heavenly and divine ; but he must mean something which is of the earth. But why should we believe earthly things ? Answer : because the heavenly things are therewith connected. It is further evident that Christ, when he said, ' Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit,' &c. must have alluded to the baptism with water ; for thus we read in this same chapter, v. 22, 23 : ' After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea ; and there tarried with them, and baptised : and John also was baptising in Ænon, near Salim, because there was much water there,' &c. It was quite reasonable that our Lord should, by saying ' Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit,' &c. press upon the mind of Nicodemas, who being a pharisee, the necessity of that institution of heaven which the pharisees had rejected. It was the baptism with water they had rejected ; for thus we read, ' But the pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptised of him.' (of John.) Luke 7, 30.

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